Interview with Author – Adria J. Cimino

About Adria J. Cimino:
Adria J. Cimino is the author of novels “Paris, Rue des Martyrs” and “Close to Destiny” and is co-founder of indie publishing house Velvet Morning Press (http://www.velvetmorningpress.com). She also is a contributor to short story anthology “That’s Paris.” Prior to jumping into the publishing world full time, she spent more than a decade as a journalist at news organizations including The AP and Bloomberg News. Adria is a member of Tall Poppy Writers a community of writing professionals committed to connecting authors with each other and with readers. In addition to writing fiction and discovering new authors, Adria writes about her real-life adventures in her blog “Adria in Paris.”

What inspires you to write?
Encounters and places most inspire me to write. The world around me is the best inspiration!

Tell us about your writing process.
When I have an idea, I always write up a quick summary, but I never write detailed outlines. I like to have the general plot written down to keep me on track, but I also like to leave plenty of room for creativity as I progress.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen to my characters and imagine what they would do in certain situations or how they might view certain things. It helps me to make them real, to truly develop their identities.

What advice would you give other writers?
Edit, edit and edit some more! I always do several rounds, then set aside the manuscript. Then go back to it. And I’ve never regretted this long process. The result makes the effort more than worthwhile!

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I am an author who co-founded an indie publishing house, Velvet Morning Press, with fellow author Vicki Lesage. We publish our books as well as the books of others. We were eager to shorten the timeframe to publication and have more control over our projects. We work closely with our authors so they can benefit from these advantages too. For new authors, there isn’t one right answer. For some, the traditional route is best, while for others, self-publishing is the better option. I would say that if you do go the self-publishing route, be prepared to hire a freelance editor to review your work. And devote a lot of your time to marketing once the book is out!

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the future of book publishing is great at the moment because there are so many options! Big publishing houses, indie publishing houses, opportunities to self-publish. It’s a good time to be a writer!